The 99% Invisible Breakdown The Power Broker #7: Sec. Pete Buttigieg
Jun 16, 2025
Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Transportation and former mayor of South Bend, talks about implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and confronting racism built into transportation. He discusses reconnecting communities with federal funds. He reflects on lessons from South Bend, balancing visible wins with unseen infrastructure work, and how reading The Power Broker shaped his view of urban power.
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LaGuardia Sabotaged Moses' Radio Speech At The Museum
- Moses tried to generate a public groundswell for public housing via a Museum of Natural History speech broadcast on WNYC.
- LaGuardia secretly preempted the broadcast so Moses' radio speech never reached the wider public, foiling the plan.
A Hidden Legal Clause Made Authorities Immortal
- Moses inserted obscure legal language letting authorities issue refunding bonds, effectively restarting the bond clock and preventing authorities from ever dissolving.
- That legal tweak converted temporary tolls and projects into permanent financial and political power.
Moses Used Financing Leverage To Force The Bridge Decision
- Moses pushed to make the Brooklyn Battery Crossing a bridge, threatening that without it the crossing would never be built.
- The City Council and state legislature approved despite reservations because Moses alone offered financing, demonstrating his leverage.
